Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG-V’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘PIILAG-V’, characterized by its compact, rounded, intermediate growth habit, dark maroon-purple foliage, dark pink flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and  Cercospora  leaf spot.

Genus and species of plant claimed: Lagerstroemia L.

Variety denomination: ‘PIILAG-V’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonlyknown as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name‘PIILAG-V’. ‘PIILAG-V’ is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscapeuse and for use as a potted plant.

‘PIILAG-V’ originated in 2010 from open-pollinated seed of Lagerstroemia‘Chocolate Mocha’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,540) growing in Watkinsville,Ga. The cultivar ‘PIILAG-V’ originated and was selected in a cultivatedenvironment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of thisopen-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit and foliageand flower characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PIILAG-V’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga.since 2011 has shown that all the unique features of this newLagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproducedtrue-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG-V’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘PIILAG-V’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘PIILAG-V’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1.Compact, rounded, intermediate growth habit; 2. Dark maroon-purplefoliage; 3. Dark pink flowers; 4. Resistance to powdery mildew andCercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘PIILAG-V’ differ from plants of the parent, ‘ChocolateMocha’, primarily in growth habit, foliage, and flower color. Plants of‘PIILAG-V’ have a compact, rounded, intermediate growth habit, darkmaroon-purple foliage, and dark pink flowers, whereas plants of‘Chocolate Mocha’ have an upright growth habit, dark brown/red-purplefoliage, and lighter pink flowers.

Plants of ‘PIILAG-V’ can be compared to plants of Lagerstroemia‘PIILAG-IV’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/998,271) butdiffer in growth habit and flower color. Plants of ‘PIILAG-V’ havecompact to rounded, intermediate growth habit and dark pink flowers,whereas plants of ‘PIILAG-IV’ have upright growth habit and red flowerbuds that open to white flowers.

Plants of ‘PIILAG-V’ can also be compared to plants of Lagerstroemia‘Coral Magic’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,922). ‘Coral Magic's’ new growthred leaf color is lighter than that of ‘PIILAG-V’. ‘Coral Magic’generally has dark green leaves that fade through the growing seasoncompared to that of ‘PIILAG-V’ that has dark maroon-purple foliagecolor. ‘Coral Magic’ has salmon-pink flowers compared to ‘PIILAG-V’ thathas dark maroon-purple flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of ‘PIILAG-V’, showing thecolors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colorreproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the newLagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of a plant of ‘PIILAG-V’planted in the ground.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the flowers of ‘PIILAG-V’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of the foliage of ‘PIILAG-V’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were approximately two years old and were grown in 11.8 Lcontainers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors aredescribed using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG-V’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lagerstroemia ‘Chocolate Mocha’            (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,540).        -   Male, or pollen parent.—Unknown (open-pollinated).-   Propagation: Terminal cuttings.    -   -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 21 days at 32° C.-   Plant description: Flowering shrub; compact, rounded, intermediate    growth habit. Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch    development.    -   -   Root description.—Numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.        -   Plant size.—The original plant, now about two and a half            years old in the ground, is about 112 cm high from the soil            level to the top of the inflorescences and about 86 cm wide.            First year stems have a diameter of about 2.5 mm. Shape:            squarish. Second year and older stems have a diameter of            about 5 mm or more. Shape: round.        -   Trunk diameter.—2.9 cm at the soil line. Color: 199A.        -   Internode length.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Strength.—Flexible when young, easily broken once mature.        -   First year stem color (young).—183C. Color (woody): 200D.        -   Second year and older stem color.—199A.        -   Bark.—Exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year            stems.-   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,    imbricate, conical, with no pubescence.    -   -   Color.—185A.        -   Size.—About 2.7 mm in length and 1.1 mm in width.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Sub-opposite to alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces).—Glabrous and glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color of emerging foliage (upper surface).—187B.        -   Venation color of emerging foliage (lower surface).—185A.        -   Venation color of fully expanded foliage (upper            surface).—N186C.        -   Venation color of fully expanded foliage (lower            surface).—183C.        -   Color in developing foliage (upper surface).—187B.        -   Color in developing foliage (lower surface).—185A.        -   Color in fully expanded foliage (upper surface).—N186C.        -   Color in fully expanded foliage (lower surface).—183C.        -   Petiole length.—About 2 mm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Petiole color (upper and lower surfaces).—183C.        -   Pubescence.—None.-   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about July to    September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about    two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are    self-cleaning.    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Panicle.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 11.2 cm.        -   Inflorescence width.—About 8.9 cm.        -   Peduncle.—About 9.2 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter,            color is 183C, and no pubescence.        -   Individual flowers.—About 2.1 cm in height and 2.8 cm in            diameter.        -   Flower buds.—Length: about 7 mm; Diameter: about 7 mm;            Color: 187B.        -   Pedicels.—About 7 mm in length, 183C in color, and no            pubescence.        -   Calyx.—About 7 mm in length, about 1 cm in diameter, 187B in            color, and no pubescence.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—Usually 6 or 7 per flower.        -   Petal length.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Petal width.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Petal shape.—Fan-shaped.        -   Petal apex.—Ruffled, rounded.        -   Petal base.—Sagittate.        -   Petal margin.—Ruffled.        -   Petal texture (upper and lower surfaces).—Glabrous.        -   Petal color.—Upper and lower surfaces are N57C.-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—About 25 to 30 short stamens clustered            in the center, about 7 mm long, filament color is 69D, and            anther color is 6B. The short stamens are surrounded by 6            longer stamens, about 1.4 cm long, filament color is 51B,            and anther color is 165D. The stamens are not pubescent.        -   Pollen.—Produced in moderate quantities and is 13B in color            on the short stamens and 146D in color on the long stamens.-   Pistils:    -   -   Quantity.—One superior pistil per flower.        -   Pubescence.—None.        -   Pistil length.—About 1.5 cm in length.        -   Stigma shape.—Round, about 1 mm in diameter.        -   Stigma color.—147C.        -   Style color.—180B and about 1.2 cm in length.        -   Ovary color.—14D and about 2 mm in diameter.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type/appearance.—Six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal            capsule.        -   Length.—About 8 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 7 mm.        -   Immature color.—144A.        -   Mature color.—200C. Each capsule contains many seeds that            are about 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 200C in color.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety    grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to    powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG-V’, asillustrated and described herein.